10 things about Xosar: In Pictures and Music

Here’s 10 things you may or may not have known about Xosar, along with some essential listening. Join us for her magnum opus: jamming live on May 1st for her Manchester debut, at Meat Free’s 2nd Birthday (in a secret warehouse!)

1. Xosar studied neuropsychology before getting into music production.

2. She was also a graphic designer in a previous life. You can see her work here.

3. She has a self-confessed belief in the paranormal and the occult, which she attributes in part to her Mum, who is part of the Cold Mountain Paranormal Society.

4. Xosar lived in California before moving to The Hague with Legowelt (where they had one two three four FIVE(!) rooms dedicated to synthesisers). From there she moved to Berlin, where she currently resides.

5. This was Xosar’s first synth, acquired when she was 5. You may have guessed, but she used it on ‘Kermit’s Day Out‘ – a track from her Xamiga collaboration with Legowelt.

7. Xosar’s weapon of choice is a Korg Electribe – 3 of them. To you and me that’s a triple punch of sampler, drum machine, and an entourage of synthesisers – with the flexibility to control them however she pleases. Forget the laptop, this is real live performance. [see: Boiler room live set]

8. She was accepted onto the esteemed Red Bull Music Academy in 2014 [Tokyo], which is no easy task with over 6000 applicants. She’s one of an impressive list of 748 participants who have been accepted since its formation in 1998, alongside names such as Fatima, Zebra Katz, Evian Christ and Tokimonsta.

9. As well as the paranormal, Xosar has an inclination for tigers; ‘Xosar’ is the name of a tiger she owns in Tennessee tiger sanctuary. And her real name? Sheela Rahman. She also loves a collaboration; see: Xamiga, Trackman Lafonte & BonQuiQui, and Body Tools.

10. Xosar has just released her seminal album, ‘Let Go’, on Opal Tapes. This has been the pinnacle so far for a producer who has been difficult to pigeon hole; while Xosar has ranged from calling her music ‘surfer-house’ to ‘desert seance’ to ‘Bangladeshi acid house’, other attempts include ‘supernatural techno musician’ and (a personal favourite) ‘occult-tinged public access house music’.

Let Go however has a clearer journey – Juno dubs it an album ‘to scare weak-hearted ravers… Rahman has successfully subverted any preconceptions about her music, delivering something truly daring and confrontational, and made it completely her own.’ Resident Advisor gives it a 4/5 – ‘Let Go outlines a path and takes it right to the brink of destruction.’ We strongly recommend a listen!